Trying to avoid getting ill? Set the record straight with these flu facts and myths

From saline solutions to herbal tea and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of over-the-counter syrups, lozenges and pills, our attempts to prevent and treat the coughing, sneezing and shivering other-wise known as the flu are pretty hit and miss.

This winter's influenza outbreak has proven especially nasty, one of the worst in a decade. Three strains of the virus, including a particularly aggressive subtype of the H3N2 virus, hit fast and furious much earlier in the season than usual. And, although public health officials say the flu reached its peak in Montreal over the Christmas holiday period, it is still in wide circulation and probably will be until the end of March. In the United States, where the flu seems to have hit hardest, 47 states have reported widespread outbreaks. In New York state alone, more than 15,000 cases of the flu were reported in January - a 250 per cent increase over last year.

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Everybody has a repertoire of home cures and "proven" preventatives. Cold and cough remedies are the second-most commonly used medications in Canada. We spend an estimated $300 million a year on over-the-counter drugs and prescription antibiotics to fight colds and flus. Mostly, they don't work.

But what does? We asked physician Renée Paré, a Montreal public health officer, to help sort flu fact from fiction. She's a big believer in the flu shot - and a dose of common sense. Her track record is pretty solid: She herself has come down with the flu only once in the past 30 years (the one year she wasn't vaccinated.)

Her simple advice for not getting sick: Get a flu shot, wash your hands often and stay away from sick people. And if you do come down with it? Stay home, drink plenty of liquids and get lots of rest.

We have Paré's rebuttals to 12 of the most prevalent flu myths that make the rounds.

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Flu Myth #1: The flu vaccine can make you sick.

Nonsense. Apart from giving you a sore arm, a flu shot is perfectly safe. The influenza viruses contained in a flu shot are dead, fragmented and inactive. They cannot cause infection. But it takes up to 14 days for the flu shot to become completely protective, so it is possible to contract the flu in the two weeks after getting a shot.

Paré says people who had the flu shot and then get sick blame it on the vaccine, but they are probably suffering from an unrelated cold or a virus other than the one contained in the flu shot.

Joe Raedle
/ Getty Images

Flu Myth #2: Vitamin C helps prevent colds and flu.

Despite decades of hype, the cold-fighting power of vitamin C remains unproven. Orange juice is good for you, it's true. But it won't, on its own, prevent sickness. Neither will high-dose supplements.

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Flu Myth #3: Feed a cold, starve a fever.

Starving yourself is never a good idea. Even in the absence of an appetite, make sure to eat lightly and stay well hydrated. Soup, juice and herbal teas help replace fluids lost through coughing, fever and runny nose. Hot tea is especially beneficial. The steam you inhale while drinking it relieves congestion and the warm liquid soothes a scratchy, sore throat. As a plus, black and green teas are loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.

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Flu Myth #4: Echinacea and zinc prevent the flu.

Echinacea is a herbal supplement long believed to boost the immune system. But there is no scientific evidence to show that it prevents colds or flu, Paré says.

Same for zinc, although there is anecdotal evidence that it might help to shorten the duration of cold and flu symptoms if taken within 24 hours of the appearance of the first symptoms. Paré warns, though, that symptoms are so variable from person to person that it is difficult to know whether the virus ran its course or was forestalled by the supplement.

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Flu Myth #5: Chicken soup is an old wives' remedy.

Actually, Bubbie was onto something. A hot bowl of chicken soup is just the thing. Inhaling the steam loosens secretions and eases congestion in the nose, throat and chest. The broth keeps you hydrated. The noodles provide carbohydrates to bolster energy levels. And that's not all: According to research that appeared in the American Journal of Therapeutics, chicken soup contains car-nosine, which boosts the immune system, and other compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. It's also good for the soul.

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Flu Myth #6: You catch the flu from going out in the cold.

Grandma was wrong here. Going hatless does not lead to cold or flu.

But there is a reason that flu outbreaks so often occur during winter, Paré says. Flu viruses thrive in the cold, dry climate of a northern winter. And they are more readily passed around in winter because we spend more time indoors in proximity. Outdoor winter conditions and dry, heated houses also encourage the spread of flu viruses by making the mucous membranes in noses and throats dry and fragile.

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Flu Myth #7: It's just the flu. No big deal.

Don't underestimate your symptoms. The flu is a serious condition; it's not just a bad cold. Stay home if you are coughing, sneezing and feverish. Go to bed to allow your body to direct its energy toward germ-fighting. And spare your colleagues and friends: The flu is highly contagious.

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Flu Myth #8: Get out the dehumidifier.

Don't bother. Breathing in steam helps loosen mucus in the chest and nasal passages. But there are simpler ways of increasing moisture in the air. Paré says dehumidifiers, used only once or twice a year, needlessly take up storage space. And if not properly cleaned, they may harbour dangerous bacteria. Instead, she recommends a simple, environmentally friendly alternative: hang towels and other laundry to dry in the room where you are convalescing.

Or for a good dose of steam, turn the hot water on in the shower, close the door of the bathroom and sit there for awhile.

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Flu Myth #9: Getting coughed at or sneezed on is the surest way to catch the flu.

Yes, but just as bad is touching your own eyes, nose and mouth.

Coughing and sneezing spreads microscopic droplets containing flu and other microbes in the air, which is why hacking into the crook of your elbow or covering your mouth with your arm or sleeve is advised.

But just as important, Paré says, is making sure to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with warm water and soap (for at least 20 seconds, which is as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday.) Microbes live on inert surfaces for anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours.

And avoid touching your face. Many microbes thrive in the moist, warm habitat inside your nose, and in other mucus-covered surfaces such as eyes and mouths.

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Flu Myth #10: Antibiotics are necessary for really bad cases of the flu.

Antibiotics have absolutely no effect of any kind on the flu. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections; the flu isn't caused by bacteria, but by a virus.

Antibiotics are only warranted in cases where a person weakened by the flu virus develops a secondary bacterial infection such as bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.

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Flu Myth #11: Over-the-counter nasal decongestants are the only way to relieve a stuffed-up nose.

Actually, simple saline solutions - store-bought or homemade - are even better. Spraying a saltwater solution into the nose, one nostril at a time, makes breathing easier.

For those especially prone to sinus infection, nasal irrigation with a Neti pot (pictured) - a ceramic pot that looks like a miniature Aladdin's lamp - is an all-natural and efficient way to clear a stuffed nose and blocked sinuses. It was used in ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine and is now available at pharmacies and health food stores.

The Neti pot is filled with salt water, which is flushed through the nose and sinuses to remove excess mucus and moisten nasal membranes. Sounds gross, but it really works, Paré says.

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/ Postmedia News

Flu Myth #12: It's too late to get the vaccine now.

No, it's not.

The flu typically strikes between November and April, hitting its peak toward the end of January. In Montreal, it arrived fast and furious in October and peaked in late December and early January. But it is still in wide circulation and probably will be until early spring.

It would have been a better idea to get the shot in November, but it's still not too late.

The flu virus has a six-to eight-week life cycle and is known to come in waves. Because the first outbreaks hit so early, we could be in store for another round.

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